Watch: A middle-aged pageant queen melts down on ‘Crown Chasers’

Do you remember “Saturday Night Live”‘s Stuart Smalley character (played and invented by Al Franken)? He was the guy who would sit in front of the mirror and try to assure himself he was good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people liked him. It turns out real people actually do this, and sometimes not even with a therapist there to force them. In this clip from TLC’s “Crown Chasers” (premiering Wed. July 10 at 10:00 p.m.), Jocelyn talks to her mirror, works on her enunciation, complains about menopause, and bursts into tears. Is it crazy? Oh, yeah.

But hey, pageant life is hard, as we know from “Toddlers & Tiaras,” and it doesn’t get easier with age. The show unveils the cutthroat world of Mrs. Pageants through the eyes of Victoria, Deborah, Jocelyn, Jennifer, and Jonella – five women, ages 30 to 52, who live in the greater Denver area. These women balance families, marriages, and careers while always prepared to compete in the next big pageant. On the stage, the ladies aim to carry themselves with grace, poise, and beauty – but what goes on off stage, is an entirely different story.

In the fierce politics of “frenemies,” where today”s competition is tomorrow”s judge, the women are always on alert. Since their pageant world is incredibly tight knit, the women must be on their best behavior at all times – or at least they should be. With everything going on in each of their lives, whether they”re crash-training to fit into swimsuits or psyching out the competition, it”s clear – absolutely anything goes in the pursuit of the almighty crown.